Open Forum

I teach and direct in a small size district (about 650).  My guy population has been dwindling as they are all graduating.  How have any of you gotten more guys to be involved?  This is the first time in 17 years I have really has this problem.

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Craig Cohan
Teacher/Theatre Director
Fairview Park City Schools
Olmsted Falls OH
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I teach in a large district (my school has 1,700 students) and I was just lamenting this to my wife last night. I only have four males in an advanced class made up of juniors and seniors. My intermediate class has only two. Of course, in my state our school's football team is king. There are 160 boys involved in the entire football program, yet I sweat that I won't have enough guys to cover all the parts during audi If I don't draft more guys somehow, we will have a hard time pulling off musicals...

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Zachary Schneider
Casper WY
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Every few years, to replenish the men that I lose each year, I choose a show that directly appeals to them -- yet there are roles for females too. Our fall show is DRACULA, to be performed on Halloween weekend. (We are a middle school, 6,7,& 8) and the boys are lining up. The HOBBIT is another show that attracts the boys. Then, once you get a good corp, you can choose shows that may not always appeal to boys. You can never be sure if it will work -- I thought the SECRET GARDEN would attract more girls than boys last year, but I was wrong, and captured more guys with that show too.

It's always a challenge, but the show choice is a good place to start. Good luck.

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Ron Wells

LCJ Summit Middle School, NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-03-2015 09:39
From: Zachary Schneider
Subject: Guys, Guys, Guys

I teach in a large district (my school has 1,700 students) and I was just lamenting this to my wife last night. I only have four males in an advanced class made up of juniors and seniors. My intermediate class has only two. Of course, in my state our school's football team is king. There are 160 boys involved in the entire football program, yet I sweat that I won't have enough guys to cover all the parts during audi If I don't draft more guys somehow, we will have a hard time pulling off musicals...

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Zachary Schneider
Casper WY
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I'd also agree that show choice is a good way to get kids into the program. Something that I do that seems to work really well is have my adv kids doing a 3-5 minutes spot in the pep assemblies. Since all of the kids at the school go to those it provides an opportunity to showcase how much fun theatre is to the portion of the population that doesn't even know it exists. 

I also use the other teachers on campus to help promote my shows. Many of them will offer extra credit to students who see the performances. I write a quiz that is based on both the plot line of the story and what actually happens on the stage to prevent kids trying to use things like SparkNotes. Since the quiz is already written, with the key, and is short a lot of other teachers use it. I also will only sign the programs after the show for the teachers who require a signature as proof of attendance.

Something else that works is the fact that there are a lot of girls in theatre. Several boys will join theatre for the girls that are present and stay because they discover a passion on their own. Just some thoughts as I take a 5-minute break from choreographing *sigh*

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Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-03-2015 13:02
From: Ron Wells
Subject: Guys, Guys, Guys

Every few years, to replenish the men that I lose each year, I choose a show that directly appeals to them -- yet there are roles for females too. Our fall show is DRACULA, to be performed on Halloween weekend. (We are a middle school, 6,7,& 8) and the boys are lining up. The HOBBIT is another show that attracts the boys. Then, once you get a good corp, you can choose shows that may not always appeal to boys. You can never be sure if it will work -- I thought the SECRET GARDEN would attract more girls than boys last year, but I was wrong, and captured more guys with that show too.

It's always a challenge, but the show choice is a good place to start. Good luck.

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Ron Wells

LCJ Summit Middle School, NJ
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Every year we have this issue. Lately we have done a few things to improve numbers. First I personally visit the chorus and theatre classes to recruit. Second, we visit the intermediate schools in June to recruit for the fall. Third, we use our current kids who know the incoming kids. They help us recruit. Good luck! It's a tough road!



Original Message:
Sent: 9/3/2015 2:16:06 PM
From: Schwartz.Shira@cusd80.com
Subject: RE: Guys, Guys, Guys

I'd also agree that show choice is a good way to get kids into the program. Something that I do that seems to work really well is have my adv kids doing a 3-5 minutes spot in the pep assemblies. Since all of the kids at the school go to those it provides an opportunity to showcase how much fun theatre is to the portion of the population that doesn't even know it exists. 

I also use the other teachers on campus to help promote my shows. Many of them will offer extra credit to students who see the performances. I write a quiz that is based on both the plot line of the story and what actually happens on the stage to prevent kids trying to use things like SparkNotes. Since the quiz is already written, with the key, and is short a lot of other teachers use it. I also will only sign the programs after the show for the teachers who require a signature as proof of attendance.

Something else that works is the fact that there are a lot of girls in theatre. Several boys will join theatre for the girls that are present and stay because they discover a passion on their own. Just some thoughts as I take a 5-minute break from choreographing *sigh*

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Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-03-2015 13:02
From: Ron Wells
Subject: Guys, Guys, Guys

Every few years, to replenish the men that I lose each year, I choose a show that directly appeals to them -- yet there are roles for females too. Our fall show is DRACULA, to be performed on Halloween weekend. (We are a middle school, 6,7,& 8) and the boys are lining up. The HOBBIT is another show that attracts the boys. Then, once you get a good corp, you can choose shows that may not always appeal to boys. You can never be sure if it will work -- I thought the SECRET GARDEN would attract more girls than boys last year, but I was wrong, and captured more guys with that show too.

It's always a challenge, but the show choice is a good place to start. Good luck.

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Ron Wells

LCJ Summit Middle School, NJ
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Strangely, I have the opposite problem. Too bad you aren't closer, or we could collaborate! To attract boys, I find comedy does the trick. I hook them with improv classes,then suggest they a show. I do a lot of gender neutral casting. I even did The Miracle Worker once with just one boy playing the father, and a second boy who recorded Annie's brother's voice separately. Anything with a sword fight in it will also attract boys, and we cross pollinate with the tech crew, having work days where actors help build and paint. That way boy crew members see the fun in the acting side, too, and they eventually try it. I also just prowl the halls at lunch and have quiet conversations with likely candidates. (We are a 7-12 school of under 200 kids, so this is easy for me.) If you send me your email, I will send you a copy of the shows we have done over the last twenty-five or so years. I have been so successful in attracting boys that I now have to lure the girls back!

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Elisabeth Ledwell
Falmouth MA
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I think the students are your best allies for this. I directed a production of Kiss Me Kate a few years ago and needed guys. One girl pulled in her boyfriend. He brought one of his guy friends to audition with him. When another of their friends heard how much fun the first rehearsal was, he asked if he could join. I made him go through the entire audition process to make sure he really wanted to do the show. All three were seniors and all three wished they had gotten involved sooner.

A few teachers help me with my audition numbers. They give an extra credit point to audition for our fall play and spring musical. I've had students show up to "audition just for extra credit," but end up approaching me afterwards to ask, "Actually, could you consider me for a role?"

Sometimes the shows I produce help with my guy numbers. I had huge numbers last year when we did a 1960s version of Midsummer. The addition of rock music appealed to the guys and many had enjoyed the play in English class. When I directed Antigone, I think only 5 or 6 guys auditioned.

I have heard of teachers who sometimes bring snacks to auditions and the first few rehearsals. Food may entice hungry guys!

Best of luck,

Rob

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Rob Duval
Theatre Teacher/Director
'Iolani School
Kaneohe HI
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When I did Almost, Maine at my last school (student population of 1100)  instead of monologues for general auditions,  they had to audition with a partner with a selection from the play.  I stated that two girls could be partners and then switch roles in the audition but most recruited guys to audition.  This was an unintended consequence but it got over 20 guys to audition and 60 people total, the most I ever had for a straight play It usually was around 30-35 with only 10 guys.

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Tom Skobel
Theatre Teacher & Theatre Director
Lake Zurich High School

Lake Zurich, IL

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1. Prayer. That's probably helped me most.

2. Show selection. A balance of comedy and darkly violent dramas (or mix them together as well) goes down wonderfully. I try to get sword play or violence into most of my productions, it really doesn't tend to be hard to do. Fake blood is also cool.

3. Use your students, as others suggest. I have several magical students who are able to continue to draw in new people, so that at this week's auditions for 'Evita' there was an equal amount of boys auditioning to girls. Which was awesome.

4. Contemporary music thrown in to productions can help. Several males have been drawn in by my propensity to throw in a wide and eclectic mix of modern/contemporary music genres into our productions, including grunge rock, techno/EDM, bluegrass, country, indie/alternative, Bollywood-style, and so on.

5. I'm stealing the Pep rally idea. Wish I could claim it as my own, but am so glad we are all here to get ideas from each other. :)

 

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Phillip Goodchild
Theatre Arts Instructor/Assistant Department Head of English
Hillsborough County Schools
Ruskin FL
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